A Conversation with Sir Laurie Bristow, Former UK Ambassador to Azerbaijan, Russia and Afghanistan.

September 17th, 2025 · by Dr. Vikas Shah MBE DL
In this interview I speak to Sir Laurie Bristow, former UK Ambassador to Azerbaijan, Russia and Afghanistan. We discuss the role of diplomacy in our world, the role of diplomats in global peace and security, and what we can learn from when diplomacy goes right, and when it goes wrong.

 

A Conversation with Lord Simon McDonald, Former Ambassador & Head of UK’s Diplomatic Service.

September 18th, 2025 · by Dr. Vikas Shah MBE DL
Lord Simon McDonald spent over four decades in HM Diplomatic Service. Sir Simon joined the British Diplomatic Service in 1982 and served in Berlin, Jeddah, Riyadh, Bonn, Washington, and Tel Aviv, and in a wide range of jobs in London. He served as the British Ambassador to Berlin from 2010…

 

On The Russia-Ukraine War – A Conversation with Simon Smith CMG, Former British Ambassador to Ukraine, and Russia, South Caucasus.

September 18th, 2025 · by Dr. Vikas Shah MBE DL
On 24th February 2022, Russia invaded Ukraine in a major escalation of the Russo-Ukrainian War (which began in 2014). Whilst exact figures are difficult to establish, by May 2022, some 8 million Ukrainians had been internally displaced and some 7.7million had left the country. The Office of the High Commissioner…

 

A Conversation with Ngaire Woods, Founding Dean of the Blavatnik School of Government.

October 4th, 2025 · by Dr. Vikas Shah MBE DL
Professor Ngaire Woods is one of the world’s preeminent experts in global government, and governance. She is the founding Dean of the Blavatnik School of Government and Professor of Global Economic Governance at Oxford University. Her research focuses on how to enhance the governance of organizations, the challenges of globalization,…

 

A Conversation with Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein, Former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.

October 4th, 2025 · by Dr. Vikas Shah MBE DL
Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein has led an incredible career in diplomacy, peacebuilding and human rights. He was the UN human rights chief from 2014-2018, was awarded the Stockholm prize for human rights in 2015 and the Tulip prize in 2018.  In January 2014, he served as president of the UN…

 

October 19th, 2023 · by Dr. Vikas Shah MBE DL
In this exclusive series of interviews, we speak to seven experts on conflict and peace building.  Four Nobel Peace Prize Winners; Prof. Jody Williams (Chair, Nobel Women's Initiative), Dr. Shirin Ebadi (Human Rights Lawyer and Educator), President Maarti Ahtisaari (Former President, Finland and Founder of CMI - The Crisis Management Initiative),…